Summertime, Summertime

I am so loving these moderately warm days and very chilly nights. This is my ideal climate. If only I could figure out a way to get the mosquitoes out of the picture, this would be heaven.

Here is today's photo:

It is not a great picture, but it was taken with a long lens from my chair in the living room. I love the hummingbirds, but wish they were nicer to each other. I never seem to get more than one at a time. If another shows up they chase each other until only one is left. I don't know how people get pix of several of them at a feeder at a time.

It is going to be a busy day as the 7-year-old is going to spend the day with us. It will be fun and I am going to try to get a project going that we can do together. I've started one of my own. I found a background that I made long ago. It has a variety of pages from old books collaged onto it and has been painted with a thin coat of green. I decided to do a face on it.  So far I've roughed in the features and put a bit of flesh colored (she is going to be fair skinned with blue/green eyes) paint on it.

I am hoping to use a bit of what I've learned in my Faces in Technicolor class, but in more traditional colors. At least, that is what I have planned for now. Who knows where my muse will take her as I get started.

This piece is about 6 1/2 inches square and I am hoping to work on her for the next few days and will share my progress. I am not planning to start on the third girl in Sharon's class until I see the next set of videos, but am still planning to add color to my first face to make her more "technicolor".

It is going to be a busy day today. I am hoping to get 2 miles on the treadmill this morning and have to do a bit of house cleaning as the hubster's sister is arriving tomorrow. I have cleaned the bathrooms, so don't have to do that, but need to do some dusting in the guest room and freshen up the rest of the house.

Welcome July - hope you'll stay longer than your sister, June.

xoxo

I Wish June Would Slow Down

Where is this month going? I had so many plans for this month.....

On a positive note, I did get a lot of art done this month considering I was away from art for so long. One of the best things I accomplished in June was rearranging my art room. It is much more efficient and I am beginning to actually know where things are. I'll have to take some pix some day soon and share them.

Here is today's photo:

I can't remember the last time I "caught" a hummingbird sitting anywhere but the feeder. This one is keeping his eye on the feeder, but is high above in a willow tree.

I also found a picture I took on the screened porch earlier this Spring. It is a pair of second hand boots I picked up for a couple of bucks because I thought the 2 year old would love them even though they are a bit large. Well, I was right. She loves them!

And last, but hopefully not least, I have the rough drawing of the next technicolor face I am planning to do in Sharon Tomlinson's class. I think this one looks much more like the magazine picture I was using as a model. I like her stronger jawline and fuller lips. Now if only I can preserve these features when I start painting her. I am hoping for a new video this morning and can't wait to try it.

But wait, I won't be able to try it today. In a little bit, we are going to my daughter's house to plant green beans and beets with her little girls. Then we are taking them out to breakfast and bringing them back here for the day - their Mom works today from 1:00 until 10:00. Maybe I should just get her to pack pajamas so they can spend the night. They will surely both be asleep by the time she gets here.

I guess I'd better skedaddle or I'll never get anything done today......

I hope to have something new to share with you on Monday.

xoxo